Kellie Brungard, GPC
23 Sep Taking the Fear out of Grant Management: Indirect Cost Allocation By: Kellie Brungard, GPC
Posted at 12:00h
in Competency Five, Grants Management, Kellie Brunguard, Program Design, Program Development, Strategy
By now, I hope you are realizing grant management doesn’t have to be a scary web of confusing topics and rules. With this grant management series, I aim to outline some of the commonly seen issues and provide resources to learn more. Check out the...
16 Sep Taking the Fear out of Grant Management: Time and Effort by: Kellie Brungard, GPC
If you have ever flinched at the mention of policies and procedures, conflict of interest, or grant reporting, we may be able to help take the fear out of grant management. Too often, grant management is seen as scary and messy, with staff hesitant to learn because they may uncover more than they know how to handle. In the nonprofit field, it’s common for staff to be put in a role where they manage grants but might not have the knowledge or resources to understand what that entails. With this grant management series, we aim to outline some of the commonly seen issues and provide resources to learn more. Check out the previous post on conflict of interest policies and procedures! Now, we are diving into time and effort reporting and staff allocation.
04 Sep Taking the Fear out of Grant Management: Conflict of Interest By: Kellie Brungard, GPC
Too often, grant management is seen as a scary, messy aspect of grant funding, and we have a vague understanding of the requirements or components. In the nonprofit field, it’s common for staff to be put in a role where they manage grants but might not have the knowledge or resources to understand what that entails. These are common scenarios, and while they may be new or unknown, taking steps to understand how grant funds should be managed is critical to the nonprofit’s success.
21 Jul A Look at 2024 OMB Uniform Guidance Updates By: Kellie Brungard, GPC
Over the past year, you may have overheard grant professionals discussing potential OMB Uniform Guidance updates. If you are wondering what that means and what may apply to you or your organization, here is a quick look at what changes occurred and what you should know. What is Uniform Guidance? Office of Management and Budget (OMB), an agency within the Executive Office of the President, issues government-wide grants-related guidance for federal departments and agencies and is responsible for the maintenance of this document. Before 2013, federal grant requirements were located in multiple OMB circulars. OMB developed a comprehensive guide for the Federal government’s Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for federal awards that became effective in 2014. In essence, this updated, reorganized, and consolidated federal grant management requirements into a single document.
06 Jul Metrics for Grant-Seeking By: Kellie Brungard, GPC
Posted at 18:00h
in Competency Two, Evaluation, Funding, Funding Opportunities, Kellie Brunguard, Organizational Development
As a grant professional, are you asked to identify performance measurements for your organization or clients? Evaluating the performance of a grant department or grant professional is a nuanced task. Yet data helps leadership and the board of directors quantify the year-to-year success and progress toward department goals. All too often, an organization will set unrealistic goals without adequate resources or available opportunities or set unreasonable expectations for the number of applications an individual needs to submit. Looking at a “success rate” can fail to consider the organization's readiness, quality of program design, or ability to identify strong opportunities and stewardship. So, how can an organization effectively evaluate the performance of a grant department and set realistic goals? How can grant professionals articulate their skills and achievements to those who are data-minded?
24 Jun Advancing Knowledge: Knowing your “Why” by Kellie Brungard, GPC
Posted at 17:08h
in Competency Seven, GPC Credential, Grants Management, Kellie Brunguard, Professional Development, Professionalism
Have you ever stopped to consider the reasons why you sign up for webinars, attain or continue to maintain your grant professional certification (GPC), or set out to learn an entirely new skill set (like project management)? For some, an employer prioritizes professional development and encourages developing a training plan. Perhaps your certification or licensure requires continuing education. Do you ever feel like you are taking action (e.g., attending workshops or reading professional articles) but it’s not adding up? Are you missing a sense of accomplishment? Actions without a bigger picture may seem productive in the short term, but they may not connect with your larger goals or leave you feeling like you haven’t made progress. Identifying your “why” may be the missing piece.
02 Jun Exploring Federal Competitions: Fostering Innovation and Excellence By: Kellie Brungard, GPC
Posted at 18:00h
in Competency One, Funding, Funding Opportunities, Industry News, Kellie Brunguard, Research
Federal prize competitions are a means for federal agencies to crowdsource ideas and engage public innovators to develop innovative ideas and solutions to societal problems (referred to as competitions, prize competitions, challenge, or competition). According to Challenge.gov, the primary platform for managing competitions, “Longitude and ship navigation, Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight, even initial designs for the U.S. Capitol and White House—all resulted from open prize competitions. Even those self-driving vehicles got their start in federal prize competitions too!” Other notable concepts derived from challenges include the “lunar loo” (space toilet), digital wallet interface, protections for fish from water infrastructure, opioid detection in the mail, and “getting out the count” for the most recent census. These competitions, organized by Federal agencies, encourage participation from individuals, businesses, and organizations, driving them to create groundbreaking solutions to complex problems. This blog post delves into the world of federal competitions, exploring their significance, impact, and considerations for interested organizations.
06 May Financial Audits for Small Nonprofits By: Kellie Brungard, GPC
Posted at 08:30h
in Competency Two, Kellie Brunguard, Organizational Development, Organizational Readiness
Audited financials are a common component of grant readiness discussions and are often requested by funders. However, new or small nonprofits may wonder if an audit is really necessary. Understanding why an audit is helpful to a funder, how to find an auditor, and what to do if an audit seems unattainable can help small nonprofits plan.
